Flotation and insulated outerwear garments

ABSTRACT

A flotation and insulated outerwear garment includes an outer shell portion, a flotation and insulation portion, and an inner liner portion, with the outer shell portion further including material that is at least water resistant, the flotation and insulation portion further including primary areas defined by a plurality of layers of material that provide flotation and insulation, with the plurality of layers of material that provide flotation and insulation being connected to each other by parallel lines of stitching that form channels that facilitate gravity-based drainage of moisture from between the layers, the flotation and insulation portion further including at least one secondary area defined by at least one layer of a different material that is more breathable than each of the plurality of layers of flotation and insulation material, and wherein the flotation and insulation portion and the inner liner portion are connected to the outer shell portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to outerwear garments, and moreparticularly to outerwear garments that provide for flotation andinsulation.

Discussion of the Prior Art

Garments intended to be worn outdoors generally may be referred to asouterwear. Outwear garments may be designed and constructed for use inmany different environments and for many different purposes. Someouterwear garments are used in cold weather, making it advantageous ifthey include insulation. Some outerwear garments are used in thepresence of a body of water, making it advantageous if they provide forflotation. For an individual who is ice fishing, working or otherwisepresent at a body of water and in cold weather, it may be particularlyadvantageous to don an outerwear garment system that includes an upperbody portion, such as in the form of a parka or jacket to cover theupper body, and a lower body portion, such as pants or bibs (biboveralls) to cover the lower body, with both portions providingflotation and insulation.

Unfortunately, to date, outwear garments that provide flotation andinsulation have been somewhat cumbersome for the user. The insulationfor the outerwear garments generally is provided via layered materialwhich usually employs a quilted construction. The quilted constructionis used to introduce pockets of air, for enhanced insulation. However,the quilted construction presents two drawbacks.

First, regardless of whether it is sewn in a diamond, square or otherpattern, the stitching has bi-directional components that extend to somedegree both horizontally and vertically. While materials chosen forflotation or insulation purposes may tend to stretch or move withoutgreat restriction, once they are sewn in a quilted pattern, introducingbi-directional stitching that forms pockets, the stitching tends tonegate the ability of the material to stretch and move freely, such asin the horizontal and vertical directions. This directly and negativelyimpacts a user's comfort and ease of movement.

Second, moisture that is emitted by the user's body will tend to traveloutward to the colder outer shell of the garment, where it mayevaporate. However, the pockets created by the quilted stitching patternin the layered insulation material do not tend to efficiently transmitthe moisture from the user to the outer shell. The moisture can becometrapped in the quilted pocket formations, without an efficient path todrain from the garment. This moisture retention can impact the comfortof the garment and can create issues with respect to the ability of theouterwear garment to thoroughly dry after use, potentially invitingbacterial growth or mold.

A third drawback of existing outwear garments that provide flotation andinsulation also relates to dissipation of moisture. Beyond retention ofmoisture within the pockets in the insulation layers, the garmentsgenerally do not provide additional adequate pathways to transmitmoisture from the user to the outer shell of the garment, where it canevaporate. This tends to negatively impact the comfort of the garmentbecause sweat or moisture is not able to be dissipated and leaves theuser feeling damp or wet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose and advantages of the invention will be set forth in andapparent from the description and drawings that follow, as well as willbe learned by practice of the claimed subject matter.

In one aspect, this disclosure provides a flotation and insulatedouterwear garment that includes an outer shell portion, a flotation andinsulation portion, and an inner liner portion. The outer shell portionfurther includes material that is at least water resistant. Theflotation and insulation portion further includes primary areas definedby a plurality of layers of material that provide flotation andinsulation, with the plurality of layers of material that provideflotation and insulation being connected to each other by parallel linesof stitching that form channels that facilitate gravity-based drainageof moisture from between the layers. The flotation and insulationportion further includes at least one secondary area defined by at leastone layer of a different material that is more breathable than each ofthe plurality of layers of flotation and insulation material. Theflotation and insulation portion and the inner liner portion areconnected to the outer shell portion.

This disclosure generally provides a flotation and insulated outerweargarment that overcomes drawbacks that are commonly found in knownproducts. The present disclosure provides an outerwear garment that maybe provided in a configuration that includes a jacket or parka to coverthe upper body, or in a configuration that includes pants or bibs (biboveralls) to cover the lower body. Each garment provides for flotationand insulation, and they may be used together as a system. While eachouterwear garment features an outer shell portion, a flotation andinsulation portion and an inner liner portion, the jacket or parkaconfiguration optionally also may include a further removable innerjacket disposed adjacent the inner liner portion.

When the outerwear garment is in the configuration of a jacket or parka,the flotation and insulation portion includes a vest portion and twosleeve portions. The vest portion and two sleeve portions may beconstructed of different numbers of layers and types of flotation andinsulation material. The vest portion and sleeve portions alsoincorporate areas having a different material that is more breathablethan the layers of flotation and insulation material. The primary areasof the vest portion and two sleeve portions additionally are connectedtogether but some of the areas of connection further include use ofsecondary areas having a more breathable material.

The layers within the vest portion and within the sleeve portions arestitched together, but the construction utilizes purposefulunidirectional stitching of the layers in a given area, with thegenerally parallel lines of stitching forming channels in the flotationand insulation portion. Unlike the quilted construction in prior artgarments, the parallel lines of stitching do not create isolated pocketsof air. Also, the generally parallel stitching lines allow the materialto stretch more freely in a direction perpendicular to the stitchinglines. The stitching may be in a direct vertical orientation, such as inthe vest portion, leg portions or in parts of the sleeve portions, butgenerally is oriented to contribute to, as opposed to obstruct,stretching of the material. This results in an outerwear garment thatprovides for greater comfort via improved ability of the outerweargarment to stretch and more easily move with the user.

The channels formed by the generally parallel and generally verticallyoriented stitching lines in the flotation and insulation portion alsoprovide for improved gravity-based drainage of moisture that wouldotherwise be trapped between layers of the flotation and insulationmaterial. Thus, moisture that wicks or otherwise makes its way to alocation between two layers of the flotation and insulation material isprovided a direct path to move downward under the influence of gravity,until the moisture reaches and exits the bottom of the outerweargarment.

The use of different, more breathable material in secondary areas of thevest portion and in the two sleeve portions, as well as where there areconnections of the sleeve portions to the vest portion, greatly enhancesthe comfort by providing selected more direct pathways for transmissionof moisture from the upper body of the user to the outer shell of theouterwear garment. This also is true of its use in the pants or bibsconfiguration. The more breathable material of the secondary areasprovides for more direct passage of moisture through the inner linerportion and secondary areas, to the outer shell portion for evaporation.This more active transmission of moisture in strategic locations,reduces the tendency of the user to feel sweaty, damp or wet, andthereby keeps the user dryer, enhancing the comfort of the outerweargarment.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and provided forpurposes of explanation only, and are not restrictive of the subjectmatter claimed. Further features and objects of the present disclosurewill become more fully apparent in the following description of thepreferred embodiments and from the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In describing the preferred embodiments, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing figures wherein like parts have like referencenumerals, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of an example outerwear garment in a jacketor parka configuration and showing a front of the outer shell portion;

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of the example outerwear garment of FIG. 1,showing a rear of the outer shell portion;

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of a flotation and insulation portion of theexample outerwear garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear plan view of a flotation and insulation portion of theexample outerwear garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an open portion of an example outerweargarment of FIG. 1, showing an inner jacket and the connection of aninner shell to an outer shell by a mesh that provides for drainage atthe bottom of the example outerwear garment;

FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the example flotation and insulationportion of the example outerwear garment of FIG. 1, showing perspectivepartial cutaway views of layers in the flotation and insulation portion;

FIG. 7 is a front plan view of an optional removable inner jacket usablewith the example outerwear garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a front plan view of an example outerwear garment in a pantsor bibs configuration and showing a front of the outer shell portion;

FIG. 9 is a rear plan view of the example outerwear garment of FIG. 8,showing a rear of the outer shell portion;

FIG. 10 is a front plan view of a flotation and insulation portion ofthe example outerwear garment of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a rear plan view of a flotation and insulation portion of theexample outerwear garment of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 12 is a front plan view of the example flotation and insulationportion of the example outerwear garment of FIG. 8, showing perspectivepartial cutaway views of layers in the flotation and insulation portion.

It should be understood that the drawings are not to scale. While somedetails of example outerwear garments have not been included, includingmechanical fasteners or closures, other plan and section views of theexamples shown, and views of examples that may have alternativeconfigurations, such details are considered well within thecomprehension of those of skill in the art in light of the presentdisclosure. It also should be understood that the present invention isnot limited to the example embodiments illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For the following defined terms, these definitions shall be applied,unless a different definition is given in the claims or elsewhere inthis disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, thesingular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless thecontent clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this disclosure and theappended claims, the term “or” is generally employed in its senseincluding “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-12, it will be appreciated that outerweargarments of the present disclosure generally may be embodied withinnumerous configurations, and may be used for various purposes to enhancethe comfort, convenience and safety of users. Indeed, whileacknowledging that all of the example configurations of outerweargarments need not be shown herein, examples are provided to betterdemonstrate that a variety of configurations contemplated.

Turning to the example embodiment of an outerwear garment shown in FIGS.1-7, a flotation and insulated outerwear garment 10 includes an outershell portion 12, a flotation and insulation portion 14, and an innerliner portion 16. The outer shell portion 12 may be constructed ofmaterials such as polyester, nylon or other suitable fabric/sheetmaterial, and preferably is at least water resistant or treated orcoated so as to be water resistant.

The flotation and insulation portion 14 further includes primary areasP1, P2, P3 defined by a plurality of layers L of material that provideflotation and insulation, so they may be constructed of various sheetmaterials, typically that include some form of foam, such aspolyethylene foam, neoprene or a suitable preferably lightweight,pliable alternative. The inner liner portion 16 may be constructed ofvarious fabric/sheet materials, such as polyester, nylon or othersuitable materials. The inner liner portion 16 generally is for comfortand preferably is of thinner construction than the outer shell portion12.

In the flotation and insulation portion 14, the plurality of layers L ofmaterial that provide flotation and insulation are connected to eachother by parallel lines of stitching 20 that form channels 22 thatfacilitate gravity-based drainage of moisture from between the layers L.The layers of foam or other insulation material L may be gatheredbetween two layers T of scrim, taffeta or other suitable material, forease of construction, such passing the materials through a sewingmachine to form the parallel lines of stitching 20. The flotation andinsulation portion 14 further includes at least one secondary area S1,S2, S3 defined by at least one layer of a different material that ismore breathable than each of the plurality of layers L of flotation andinsulation material, such as a fleece material, preferably a stretchfleece, or other suitable alternative fabric in the form of sheetmaterial that is breathable and permits transmission of moisture. Also,the flotation and insulation portion 14 and the inner liner portion 16are connected to the outer shell portion 12, such as at the arm pits andshoulders, and the flotation and insulation portion 14 is capturedbetween the outer shell portion 12 and inner liner portion 16 by astretchable mesh 18 that connects the outer shell portion 12 to theinner liner portion 16 at the bottom of the garment, and which includesapertures 24 for drainage, as best seen in FIG. 5.

The material in the primary areas P1, P2, P3 preferably includes layersL of polyethylene foam sheet material, with each layer L roughly havinga thickness within a range of 0.010-0.12 inches, and preferably witheach layer L having a thickness of 0.012 inches. However, it will beappreciated that alternative materials and thicknesses may be used. Thedifferent more breathable material in the secondary areas S1, S2, S3preferably includes a fleece material, such as stretch fleece, or othersuitable alternative fabrics in the form of a sheet material that isbreathable and permits transmission of moisture.

The outerwear garment 10 is shown in a jacket or parka configuration inFIGS. 1-7. The flotation and insulation portion 14 of the jacket orparka includes a vest portion 30 and two sleeve portions 32. The vestportion 30 includes at least two primary areas P1 connected by at leastone secondary area 51, as best seen in this example in FIG. 4 down therear of the vest portion 30. Each of the two sleeve portions 32 includesat least two primary areas P2 and P3 connected by at least one secondaryarea S2. It will be appreciated that the vest portion 30 and two sleeveportions 32 may be constructed using different numbers of layers L offlotation and insulation material, and even different types of flotationand insulation materials. In this example, as shown in FIG. 6, the atleast two primary areas P1 of the vest portion 30 are shown as includingthree layers L of the flotation and insulation material, and the atleast two primary areas P2 and P3 of each sleeve portion 32 are shown asincluding two layers L of the flotation and insulation material.

With more specific reference to the areas of the flotation andinsulation portion 14 of this example, at least one secondary area S1 ofthe more breathable material of the vest portion 30 extends down a rearof the vest portion 30. In this example, the at least one secondary areaS1 is between and connected to the at least two primary areas P1 in thecenter of the rear of the vest 30, as best seen in FIG. 4. A further atleast one secondary area S2 of the more breathable material of eachsleeve portion 32 extends between and is connected to a lower armportion 36 that includes a primary area P2 and an upper arm portion 38that includes a primary area P3, effectively at the elbows of thisexample. The flotation and insulation portion 14 further includes atleast one additional secondary area S3 of the more breathable materialextending between the vest portion 30 and the upper arm portion 38 ofeach respective sleeve portion 32, effectively at the armpits of thisexample. It will be appreciated that the more breathable material may beused in strategic locations, such as is shown at the center of the rear,elbows and armpits of the example jacket or parka, and/or other desiredlocations. Also, the channels 22 formed in the flotation and insulationportion 14 optionally are in fluid communication with drainage apertures24 at the bottom edge of the outerwear garment 10 to permit drainage andpromote more thorough drying after use.

The flotation and insulation portion 14 may be connected to the outershell portion 12 at selected locations, to help keep the two portions inregistration with each other. While this can be helpful when donning ordoffing the outerwear garment 10, to avoid restricting movement, it ispreferable to only be connected to the outer shell portion 12 in limitedareas, such as along short sections of the seams that are otherwisepresent in the outer shell portion 12. These points of connection mayoccur, for example, at the top of the shoulders, along the sides of thebody, leading down a sleeve or at other positions where minimal lengthsof stitching will still tend to keep the flotation and insulationportion 14 in registration with the outer shell portion 12. The innerliner portion 16 may be connected to the outer shell 12 at peripheralpositions and may be connected to the flotation and insulation portion14 at particular locations to help the inner liner portion 16 stayadjacent to and in registration with the flotation and insulationportion 14 for ease of donning and doffing the outerwear garment 10.

It will be appreciated that a front of the outer shell portion 12 of thejacket or parka further includes a reclosable opening 40, to permit theouterwear garment 10 to be donned and doffed. The reclosable opening 40may include a flap of overlapping material to conceal fasteners that mayinclude snaps, hook and loop fasteners and/or a zipper or the like. Theexample outerwear garment 10 also may include additional liners orlayers, whether permanently connected or constructed to be removable.For instance, FIG. 7 shows an example removable inner jacket 50. Theremovable inner jacket 50 optionally may be provided for additionalcomfort, and may be removed to be worn independently as a lightweightjacket. The removable inner jacket 50 is disposed adjacent the innerliner portion 16, as best seen in FIG. 5, and is removably connected toat least the inner liner portion 16 or the outer shell portion 12, suchas by fasteners that may include snaps, hook and loop fasteners and/or azipper or the like. The optional removable inner jacket 50 generally maybe constructed of a more breathable material, such as fleece or stretchfleece, or other suitable materials.

Turning now to a second example embodiment of an outerwear garment shownin FIGS. 8-12, a flotation and insulated outerwear garment 110 includesan outer shell portion 112, a flotation and insulation portion 114, andan inner liner portion 116. Similarly to the first example, the outershell portion 112 of the second example further includes material thatis at least water resistant, such as polyester or nylon sheet material,or the like. The flotation and insulation portion 114 of the secondexample further includes primary areas P101 and P102 defined by aplurality of layers L of material that provide flotation and insulation,such as polyethylene foam sheet material or the like. The plurality oflayers L of material that provide flotation and insulation are connectedto each other by parallel lines of stitching 120 that form channels 122that facilitate gravity-based drainage of moisture from between thelayers L. Similarly to the first example embodiment, the layers of foamor other insulation material L may be gathered between two layers T ofscrim, taffeta or other suitable material, for ease of construction,such passing the materials through a sewing machine to form the parallellines of stitching 120. The flotation and insulation portion 114 furtherincludes at least one secondary area S101 defined by at least one layerof a different material that is more breathable than each of theplurality of layers L of flotation and insulation material, similarly tothe first example embodiment. Also, the flotation and insulation portion114 and the inner liner portion 116 are connected to the outer shellportion 112.

The outerwear garment 110 of the second example is shown in a pants orbibs (bib overalls) configuration. The flotation and insulation portion114 of the pants or bibs includes at least one torso portion 130 and twoleg portions 132. The at least one torso portion 130 and the at leasttwo leg portions 132 each include at least one primary area P101, P102,respectively, wherein at least one secondary area S101 connects the atleast one torso portion 130 and two leg portions 132, as best seen inFIG. 11.

The materials used in the second example outerwear garment 110preferably are similar to those described for the first exampleouterwear garment 10, but as noted, it will be appreciated thatalternative materials and thicknesses may be used. Thus, the materialfor the primary areas P101 and P102 preferably includes layers ofpolyethylene foam sheet material, with each layer roughly having athickness within a range of 0.010-0.12 inches, and preferably with eachhaving a thickness of 0.012 inches. The different more breathablematerial in the at least one secondary area S101 may include a fleecematerial, and preferably includes a stretch fleece, or other suitablealternative fabric in the form of sheet material that is breathable andpermits transmission of moisture. It will be appreciated that the morebreathable material may be used in strategic locations, such as is shownat the crotch and inseam of the pants or bibs, and/or other desiredlocations. Also, similarly to the first example embodiment, the channels122 formed in the flotation and insulation portion 114 are in fluidcommunication with drainage apertures 124 at the bottom edge of theouterwear garment 110 to permit drainage and promote more thoroughdrying after use. Thus, the flotation and insulation portion 114 may becaptured between the outer shell portion 112 and inner liner portion 116by a stretchable mesh 118 that connects the outer shell portion 112 tothe inner liner portion 116 at the bottom of the garment, and whichincludes apertures 124 for drainage, with the stretchable mesh 118 shownin an enlarged view in FIG. 5 and being similarly used relative to theexample garment 10 shown in FIG. 5, such that the stretchable mesh 118is located at the bottom of the example flotation and insulatedouterwear garment 110.

The flotation and insulation portion 114 may be connected to the outershell portion 112 at selected locations, to help keep the two portionsin registration with each other. While this can be helpful when donningor doffing the outerwear garment 110, to avoid restricting movement, aswith the first example embodiment, it is preferable to have theflotation and insulation portion 114 only be connected to the outershell portion 112 in limited areas, such as along short sections of theseams that are otherwise present in the outer shell portion 112. Thesepoints of connection may occur at the top of the torso portion 130,along the sides and/or at or near the bottom of the leg portions 132, orat other positions where minimal lengths of stitching will still tend tokeep the flotation and insulation portion 114 in registration with theouter shell portion 112. Also, the inner liner portion 116 may beconnected to the outer shell 112 at peripheral positions and may beconnected to the flotation and insulation portion 114 at particularlocations to help the inner liner portion 116 stay adjacent to and inregistration with the flotation and insulation portion 114 for ease ofdonning and doffing the outerwear garment 110.

With more specific reference to the areas of the flotation andinsulation portion 114 of this example, the at least one primary areaP101 of the torso portion 130 includes two layers L of the flotation andinsulation material and the at least one primary area P102 of each ofthe two leg portions 132 includes three layers L of the flotation andinsulation material. The at least one secondary area S101 extends downfrom a front of the at least one primary area P101 of the torso portion130 and between the at least one primary area P102 of each leg portion132. It will be appreciated that the outerwear garment 110 may includereclosable openings for convenience of bodily access or for pockets. Asnoted with respect to the first example, such reclosable openings mayinclude a flap of overlapping material to conceal fasteners that mayinclude snaps, hook and loop fasteners and/or a zipper or the like. Theexample outerwear garment 110 also may include releasable shoulderstraps 150 connected to the torso portion 130, to assist in keeping theouterwear garment 110 securely connected to the user.

From the above disclosure, it will be apparent that outerwear garmentsof various configurations may be constructed in accordance with thisdisclosure, and that such outerwear garments may include a number ofstructural aspects that provide numerous advantages over conventionalflotation and insulated outer garments. The example materials andspecific constructions shown herein may exhibit one or more of theabove-referenced potential advantages, depending upon the specificdesign chosen. Any variety of suitable materials of construction,configurations, shapes and sizes for the components and methods ofconnecting the components may be utilized to meet the particular needsand requirements of an end user. It is to be understood that theinvention is not to be limited to the disclosed example embodiments, butrather, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalentarrangements include within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.Thus, the description and drawings should be considered illustrative andnot restrictive of the invention, which is limited only by the appendedclaims and their legal equivalents.

1. A flotation and insulated outerwear garment comprising: an outershell portion, a flotation and insulation portion, and an inner linerportion; the outer shell portion further comprising material that is atleast water resistant; the flotation and insulation portion furthercomprising primary areas defined by a plurality of layers of materialthat provide flotation and insulation, with the plurality of layers ofmaterial that provide flotation and insulation being connected to eachother by parallel lines of stitching that form channels that facilitategravity-based drainage of moisture from between the layers; theflotation and insulation portion further comprising at least onesecondary area defined by at least one layer of a different materialthat is more breathable than each of the plurality of layers offlotation and insulation material; and wherein the flotation andinsulation portion and the inner liner portion are connected to theouter shell portion.
 2. The outerwear garment in accordance with claim1, wherein the material in the primary areas further comprisespolyethylene foam.
 3. The outerwear garment in accordance with claim 2,wherein the polyethylene foam material in the primary areas furthercomprises at least one sheet of polyethylene foam.
 4. The outerweargarment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the different material inthe secondary areas further comprises fleece material.
 5. The outerweargarment in accordance with claim 4, wherein the fleece material furthercomprises a stretchable fleece material.
 6. The outerwear garment inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the channels are in fluid communicationwith drainage apertures at the bottom edge of the garment.
 7. Theouterwear garment in accordance with claim 1, further comprising ajacket or parka configuration.
 8. The outerwear garment in accordancewith claim 7, wherein the flotation and insulation portion of the jacketor parka includes a vest portion and two sleeve portions.
 9. Theouterwear garment in accordance with claim 8, wherein the vest portionincludes at least two primary areas connected by at least one secondaryarea, and each of the two sleeve portions includes at least two primaryareas connected by at least one secondary area.
 10. The outerweargarment in accordance with claim 9, wherein the at least two primaryareas of the vest portion include at least three layers of the flotationand insulation material and the at least two primary areas of eachsleeve portion include at least two layers of the flotation andinsulation material.
 11. The outerwear garment in accordance with claim9, wherein the at least one secondary area of the vest portion extendsdown a rear of the vest portion between the at least two primary areas,the at least one secondary area of each sleeve portion extends between alower arm portion comprising a primary area and an upper arm portioncomprising a primary area, and further comprising at least oneadditional secondary area extending between the vest portion and theupper arm portion of each respective sleeve portion.
 12. The outerweargarment in accordance with claim 7, wherein a front of the outer shellportion of the jacket or parka further comprises a reclosable opening.13. The outerwear garment in accordance with claim 7, further comprisinga removable inner jacket that is disposed adjacent the inner linerportion.
 14. The outerwear garment in accordance with claim 13, whereinthe inner jacket is removably connected to at least the inner linerportion or the outer shell portion.
 15. The outerwear garment inaccordance with claim 1, further comprising a pants or bibsconfiguration.
 16. The outerwear garment in accordance with claim 15,wherein the flotation and insulation portion of the pants or bibsincludes at least one torso portion and two leg portions.
 17. Theouterwear garment in accordance with claim 16, wherein the at least onetorso portion and two leg portions each include at least one primaryarea, and wherein at least one secondary area connects the at least onetorso portion and two leg portions.
 18. The outerwear garment inaccordance with claim 17, wherein the at least one primary area of thetorso portion includes at least two layers of the flotation andinsulation material and the at least one primary area of each of the twoleg portions includes at least three layers of the flotation andinsulation material.
 19. The outerwear garment in accordance with claim17, wherein the at least one secondary area extends down from a front ofthe at least one primary area of the torso portion and between the atleast one primary area of each leg portion.
 20. The outerwear garment inaccordance with claim 16, further comprising releasable shoulder strapsconnected to the torso portion.